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05/23/2012

Kim Possible

Walt Disney World is not the same as it was 40 years ago. Heck, it’s not the same as it was 1 year ago. Rides come and go. Attractions find an audience for a little while and then disappear when their time is done.

Now, there are some attractions and rides and shows that have lasted for years and years. I mentioned last week how the Electrical Water Pageant has been around since shortly after the park opened in 1971. The Jungle Cruise is another timeless classic.

But, some parts of the Walt Disney World family are just passing fads. An attraction based on something that is popular at the time, but may not be as relevant five years from now. Or even two years from now. It’s kind of like when a television show is cancelled due to low ratings. The television station puts in another show that they hope will be more attractive to the audience it is trying to reach.

Such is the case of a fairly recent attraction in EPCOT’s World Showcase.

The Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure was introduced in early 2009 and was fairly popular with the tween/teen crowds.

At a Kim Possible kiosk in the park, there are machines where you can swipe your admissions ticket to receive a “fast pass”. This gives you details about where and when to report for your mission.

When you arrive at the designated area, a Kim Possible agent hands you a Kimmunicator. For those of you not familiar with the Kim Possible television show, a Kimmunicator is basically a flip top cell phone with a GPS feature. For fans of the television show, it’s a dream come true to hold a Kimmunicator.

Through animated “video” calls, you’ll receive destination information and instructions on where to search for clues to help solve your mission. Throughout the World Showcase, there are “planted” clues that become animated when the phone is held up to them. It’s really a fascinating piece of technology.

While the adults in our group weren’t overly enthralled with the attraction, those in the group who were big fans of the show were enamored with the attraction.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end.

As of May 19, the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure has closed up shop. But, as is true Disney fashion, there are already plans for something else to step in and take its place.

Opening in July, the Agent P World Showcase Adventure will open, featuring the extremely popular platypus, Perry, or Agent P as he’s known in other circles. This character from the Disney Channel animated series Phineas & Ferb will invite kids and their families to become secret agents and go on missions throughout the World Showcase to try to stop Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s plots from being carried off successfully. (Which, if you watch the show, doesn’t ever happen.)

There are similarities to the older Kim Possible attraction, including the use of a high-tech device similar to the Kimmunicator.